The Islamic State claimed the first attack in Bangladesh by taking responsibility for killing an Italian aid worker, Cesare Tavella, 50, in the high security diplomatic area in Dhaka, Bangladesh.

On Monday evening the worker was shot three times from a close proximity in market Gulshan diplomatic zone. He was jogging then, said the police. As he fell on the ground, attackers fled away. Doctors declared Tavella dead, when he was rushed to a local hospital.

According to a police spokesman, Tavella was working as manager of Profitable Opportunities for Food Security (PROOFS) project of the Netherlands-based ICCO Cooperation.

Ohiduzzaman Mian, police commissioner of Dhaka, told reporters that, “We are not clear who killed him but we think it was a pre-planned murder.”

It was confirmed by a fellow officer that no moneybag or cell phone were taken away by the kller. This indicates that the murder was not done by ordinary muggers.

A statement that was issued in Arabic said that the Islamic State (IS) claimed to have killed Cesare, said SITE Intelligence Group. According to Security officials, this killing could be the first attack by the militant group in Bangladesh.

Meanwhile, Britain and the US cautioned their nationals staying in Bangladesh to be alert and cautious in their movements. Trials to calm down Cricket Australia are being made by Bangladesh as the board was seeking assurances regarding security concerns from its Bangladesh counterpart prior to its tour to Bangladesh.

-Sumana